Sword and the Rose
by WogglebugLover-AvengingAtheist
Summary: Arthur adjusts to being a new young king, a mysterious young girl named Gwen comes along, and Madam Mim plots for her revenge on him and Merlin.
1. Chapter 1

Young King Arthur was in the Royal Study with his mentor and magician Merlin and his owl Archimedes. It had been three months since he had pulled the sword from the stone and become the King of England. During that time he had been adjusting to his new duties and had been learning many new things with Merlin's aid, like how to read and write and such. He often found his royal position to be a heavy burden but Merlin was always assuring him he would get used to it in time and perhaps even come to enjoy it.

Arthur was reading a book aloud when he came upon a certain long word he didn't recognize.

"Meticulous? What does meticulous mean?" he asked his tutors.

"It means punctilious, fastidious, and precise," replied Merlin.

"Oh," said Arthur. "I wonder if I'll ever have to write such long words."

"You might," said Merlin. "After all, one does often expect a King to know the meaning of many things and to be precise with them."

Arthur sighed. "This just gets harder and harder for me all the time."

"That is just because it's all so new to you," Merlin replied. "It will ease up on you as time goes by as long as you just do your best at it."

"How do you know?" asked Arthur.

"Because when I was just your age I was developing my skills in magic and sorcery with a mentor and I found them to be quite hard to learn at first, but then as I pressed on I gained control over my powers and learned how to use them to my fullest extent."

"But I never wanted to become King in the first place," Arthur continued.

"No, but you were destined to be so," said Merlin. "You were born as the son of a king, King Uther Pendragon, remember?"

"Yes, you've told me about how you took me from him and gave me to Sir Ector after I was born," Arthur said. "But you still won't tell me why you did so?"

Merlin shook his head gently. "No. That must wait for a later time, when you are ready for it. Just remember that we all have a destiny to each our own, some bigger than others, and will must face them and face whatever life brings us."

Merlin then became more solemn as he continued, "A thing you must beware of though is arrogance. No matter what you accomplish you must keep clear that you are still just a player in a much bigger picture. If you let your pride get the better of you then all of your accomplishments will fall down hard. Remember all I say to you."

"I'll remember, Merlin," Arthur assured him.

It was later on the same day when Merlin went into the forest where he came to a large shimmering blue lake. He stood before it and bowed, and then spoke to it.

"Lady of the Lake, it is I, Merlin. I have come to you for advice once more."

Then all at once a fount of water splurged upward from the lake and a figure within it began to take form. When the water had cleared there was a lovely lady hovering just from the water's surface. She had very pale and fair whitish skin and hair that swirled all around her shoulders like tendrils. Around her neck there were tiny fish swimming around it. When she spoke to Merlin her voice was very musical.

"How may I help you, my friend?" she said.

"I wanted to tell you I think I may have fulfilled my task," Merlin said, "I have found the young boy of Uther Pendragon and he has been crowned King of England now. I come asking if there is more I should do for him and should I remain at his side for an extended time."

The Lady of the Lake spoke gravely to him. "Yes, there is, Merlin. First I must warn you there is more darkness ahead in the near future and to be on your guard for anyone or anything suspicious."

"I shall then," Merlin promised.

"And also there is a creature here in this forest that requires your attention," the Lady of the Lake continued.

"What sort of creature?" asked Merlin.

"A young squirrel under an enchantment," the Lady of the Lake replied. And so saying she turned again to water and splurged downward into the lake once more.

_A young squirrel? I wonder?_ Merlin thought as he turned and began making his way back through the forest.

He began looking up at the high trees which were now sprouting baby leaves and twigs on their branches. He could hear the sounds of baby birds singing as well. Finally he looked up and saw a squirrel scurrying along one of the higher branches.

He took out a small looking glass that was enchanted to tell him if something was enchanted. He held it up to his eyes and looked up at the squirrel. And, sure enough, there was a light around the squirrel that let him now she was under an enchantment.

Merlin then took out his wand and focused his attention entirely on the squirrel as he lifted it up and spoke the disenchanting charm.

"_Snik, snak, snorem!"_

Then there was a large puff of glowing dust surrounding the squirrel, and the next moment Merlin saw a small figure was falling down from the high branch the squirrel had been on a moment before. Merlin quickly cast another spell.

"_Ho-versious!"_

And then the falling figure floated slowly and gracefully down from the trees and landed neatly into Merlin's outreached arms.

Merlin saw that it was a young girl of about Arthur's age. She had long brown hair that was in lost curls and she wore a simple green dress and tan shoes. Her eyes were closed for a moment and then they opened wide and she gasped audibly as she looked around frantically.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You are in a forest and you just fell from a high tree," Merlin explained gently.

"Who are you?" asked the girl staring at him.

"I am Merlin, the world's most powerful wizard," Merlin replied. "And I have just freed you from an enchantment you were under. Now can you tell me who you are, my dear?"

The girl looked stunned and confused at the same time and then she spoke quietly. "I don't know who I am. I don't know where I came from or why I'm here. All I can remember is I am called Gwen."

"Ah! It seems that whoever enchanted you also erased your memory," Merlin said. "Well, I'm sure they will return in time. Now I shall just bring back with me to the castle where you shall meet with my friend young King Arthur."

So Merlin brought Gwen to the castle and they were met by Arthur.

"Sire, this is Gwen," Merlin said. "She was in the forest and lost with no memory of herself or where she comes from. Might I request that she stay here until we find out where she lives?"

"Of course," replied Arthur with a smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, Gwen." He added with a small bow toward Gwen.

She bowed back and said, "Thank you, Your Grace."

So then Arthur led Gwen up to a room in the castle where she would be staying.

"You must be a great King to have such a wizard as Merlin here with you," said Gwen.

"Well, I've only just started out being King," replied Arthur humbly. "I just pulled a sword out of a stone which only the rightful heir to the throne could pull. Merlin says it's my destiny, though I sometimes wish it wasn't."

"But I can see in your eyes that you will be a good King," said Gwen.

"Well, Merlin thinks so too," said Arthur. "But I just feel so responsible for myself now."

Just then they came to a large door which Arthur opened and gestured for Gwen to go into. "Here is your room, Milady," he said courtly. "I shall let you know when dinner is served. We will be having a few guests here tonight also."

"What sort of guests?" asked Gwen.

"Sir Pelinore, and Sir Ector and his son Sir Kay who were my foster father and brother before I pulled out that sword last Winter."

"Thank you for your kindness, My Lord," said Gwen with a neat curtsy before she stepped inside the room.


	2. Chapter 2

In a cottage hidden deep in the forest, the old witch called Madam Mim was was in her kitchen and was brewing up a special concoction of black magic in her cauldron. She had just recently recovered from the measles which Merlin had inflicted her with when he had turned into a germ in their wizard's dual six months ago. Now that she was feeling a hundred percent herself and as bad as ever once again she was at work thinking up a plan to get revenge on Merlin, as well as the boy Arthur whom he put so much value on.

"Hee hee hee!" she cackled gleefully as she stirred the muddy brown mix in her cauldron. "That miserable, bumbling old goat Merlin will never know what hit him!"

Just then there came a rush of wind through the window which was followed shortly by the darkening of the clouds in the sky which Mim noticed as she glanced out the window. She knew instantly what these meant.

"He's here!" she exclaimed excitedly.

She rushed outside just in time to see a figure riding on the back of a large creature flying in over the horizon. They came swiftly closer and as they landed a feet ahead of her she recognized them at once.

"Lord Dragmore! How marvelous it is to see you here!" she greeted her old friend and colleague.

Off of a gigantic scaly creature that looked like a cross between a dragon, an alligator, and a hippopotamus, stepped a very tall and thin man with long black hair and a matching long black beard. He was wearing long black robes and a black tall pointed hat. His skin was brownish in color and his eyes looked hollow and dangerously shifty. He was a wizard, but unlike Merlin as he was trained specifically in the arts of black magic.

When he dismounted his ride he looked down at Mim and extended his hand toward her. She shook it and felt a powerfully dark sensation of magic flowing from it.

"Well, now that I have come, Mim," said Lord Dragmore in a raspy, harsh voice, "would you care to tell me more about this plan of yours to do away with our old enemy Merlin?"

"Yes, of course," she said. "It's like this, we'll lure his young friend Arthur to us and in the process make Merlin so weak and sick, just as he made me, that he won't be able to do anything about it!"

"Sounds like a skilled plan," said Lord Dragmore. "How do you plan on weakening Merlin though I wonder."

"Come, I'll show you. It's almost done now," said Mim as she led him into her house.

They went into the kitchen where Mim's cauldron was nearly boiling over and foam was beginning to form around the edges. She stepped up to it and took a small pouch that was nearby and turned it upside down pouring all of the contents into the cauldron which looked like chunks of dirt. No sooner had she done this than the cauldron's contents turned a deep shade of red that looked almost like blood.

"There. Now it's ready," Mim said in triumph. "You see, we'll just switch Merlin's glass of wine with this and he won't know the difference, and it will drain him of his magic!"

"I see," said Lord Dragmore. "And now I think I would like to see what Merlin is up to at this very moment, as well as that boy called Arthur."

And so saying he took out a small round ball made of crystal as clear as glass and held it up to his eyes as he spoke to it.

"Mystic Orb of mine, show me my old enemy Merlin."

Then at once the image of Merlin appeared in the crystal sphere. He was seen with Arthur in the throne room of the castle. Lord Dragmore's eyes darkened intensely at the image of Merlin talking to the boy wearing royal robes and a crown on his head.

"Well," Lord Dragmore hissed, "it seems that boy called Arthur somehow found his way to the throne of England."

"He what!?" Madam Mim exclaimed in horror and shock.

"See for yourself," Lord Dragmore said as he held out the Mystic Orb to her.

Madam Mim's eyes grew huge as she looked at the scene in the crystal ball. She gasped in shock, anger, and fear as realization of it all came to her.

"Why, this Arthur must be the rightful heir to the throne!"

Lord Dragmore eyed her with rage building behind his eyes. "But I thought you told me you had already done away with the rightful heir to the throne twelve years ago at his birth!"

Madam Mim now turned very pale and gulped. "Well... yes, I did tell you that... and I thought I had! Really I did! I remember putting the rock you gave me in his cradle on the day he was born as you instructed! But then I suppose that old Merlin must have seized him before he could be put there and had given him away to someone!"

Lord Dragmore's eyes burned red with fury. "Merlin! Of course! Why I did I not foresee him interfering with my plans!?"

"Calm down, my Lord," Mim said fearfully. "Remember I have a plan to do away with young King Arthur as well as Merlin."

Lord Dragmore however was looking at the Mystic Orb in his hand again and was squinting his beady bloodshot eyes at what he was seeing in it.

"Hmm... Now there seems to be a young girl with them," he muttered seethingly.

"A young girl?" repeated Mim as she scratched her chin. "What does she look like?"

"She has long reddish brown hair and green eyes and wears a long green dress," replied Lord Dragmore. He then held the Mystic Orb down for Mim to see for herself.

Madam Mim looked at the girl in the scene and nearly fainted over backwards as she looked for an instant as if she were about to die of a heart attack.

"No! It can't be! Guinevere!?" she exclaimed with her voice cracking in horror.

Lord Dragmore leered at her as he pointed an accusing long bony finger at her face. "You told me you had changed her into a squirrel ten years ago!"

"I... I... I did! I really did!" Mim said with her voice a frightened squeak. "I turned her into a squirrel when she was two years old after we got rid of her parents so she and them wouldn't interfere with our plans. And I bet that Merlin changed her back again! He must have!"

Lord Dragmore sighed and shook his head. "Well, this is a fine situation that old foe of ours has put us into! So what are we gonna do now, Mim? Do you have another plan?"

Madam Mim had begun thinking speedily as he spoke and she began to come up with a second plan of action against their enemies.

"Yes, I do!" she announced. "We will just get Arthur and Guinevere to come to us and then deal with them while Merlin is busy and if the old goat should try interfering again we'll just give him a dose of his own poison!"

"Very clever," said Lord Dragmore approvingly. "And let us keep an eye on our victims to see what else may be done with them."


	3. Chapter 3

Madam Mim and Lord Dragmore watched through the Mystic Orb as Arthur, Gwen, and Merlin met with Sir Ector, Kay, and Pelinore in the royal dining room.

"Thank you for inviting us over tonight, Sire," Sir Ector said with a bow to Arthur. He then nudged his son Kay to do the same.

"It's our pleasure to have you here," replied Arthur.

"And who, might I ask, is the young lady here?" asked Sir Pelinore looking toward Gwen. "Is she engaged to you?"

Arthur and Gwen both blushed as Arthur chuckled and replied, "No, we just met today. Her name is Gwen and she was found in the forest by Merlin this afternoon."

"Ah! I see. It was forward of me to make such an assumption," said Sir Pelinore.

Then as they all sat down for dinner Sir Ector started a lively conversation. "So how are you getting on with your new duties?" he asked Arthur.

"Fine," said Arthur. "They're not as easy washing and sweeping floors were though," he added.

"I always will regret how I put you through so much back at our castle," Sir Ector admitted somberly. "I just had no idea of what a great destiny you had in for you. If I had I would have raised more like you were my own son."

"Please do not mention about the old times, sir," Arthur said earnestly.

"So how has Marvin been at tutoring you all these months?" Sir Ector asked.

"The name is Merlin, if you don't mind," Merlin said a bit irritably.

"He's been the best teacher you can imagine," replied Arthur. "I learned to read and write and add and subtract in a few weeks."

"Splendid!" said Sir Ector. "I only wish I'd paid more attention to educating you before, and perhaps to Kay also," he added with a sideways glance toward his son."

"But Kay has still become a knight," said Arthur. "And that is something to be admired for, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, of course," said Sir Ector. "And I was wondering how you were with assembling your knights."

"We've decided to have them all meet at a round table instead of a square one, so that they all be seated beside me as equals," said Arthur.

"A splendid idea," said Sir Ector. "Now how do you feel about Kay being a knight for you?"

Before Arthur could reply Kay sat up suddenly and slammed his fist down on the table as he exclaimed, "I do not want to be in the pay of the Wart!"

"His name is Arthur, son," Sir Ector said reprimanding him sternly. "And you must call by such now that he is your King."

"I don't care if he's King, or what his name is!" Kay said almost shouting. "He is still a wart on the face of my life! He became King only because he pulled a stupid sword out of blasted anvil on a stone!"

"He also became King because he was born for it, and only someone with a royal birthright could have pulled that sword out of that stone," Merlin said eying Kay reproachfully. "And therefore it was his destiny to become King."

"And your destiny was to become a knight," added Arthur. "I used to be so envious of you for it."

"You were because your swordsmanship wasn't worth a cock's bum!" said Kay pointing at Arthur. "Mine was always the best. And without any swordsmanship how can you ever expect to take to any battles with your sword you pulled out?"

"Well... I..." Arthur stammered.

"He will be able to do whatever his destiny calls for him to do when the time for it comes," Merlin said in his defense.

Kay gave a short sarcastic guffaw at this. "Why I'd like to see that! I bet he can't even beat me in a sparing match!"

"He can too!" Merlin said indignantly.

"Can not!" Kay retorted.

"Can too!" insisted Merlin. "And he can prove it to you if you will be so kind as to allow him to."

"Merlin! I..." Arthur started looking shocked at Merlin.

"Trust me, my young friend," Merlin said to him reassuringly. "You will be able to do anything you put your mind to."

"Sure!" said Kay haughtily. "Let's bring it on!"

So then Kay went to get his sword and Arthur went to get his. Arthur felt quite uneasy about challenging his foster brother who was almost ten years older than him now like this. But he still trusted Merlin.

Then they faced each other off and began clanging and clacking their swords together as they circled each other. Kay brought it sword out for a swipe at Arthur's, but then Arthur's sword seemed to suddenly come to life in his hands and with it he made a swipe of his own and knocked Kay's sword out of his grasp, and in the process he also ended up slitting Kay's belt and so his trousers fell loose to the floor.

Everyone at the table laughed at how easily Kay had been defeated, including Merlin who had a satisfied twinkle in his eyes.

Kay grumbled loudly as he picked up his sword and his trousers from the floor. "This won't be the last one, Wart!" he said with a threatening tone.

"I'm sorry," Arthur said defensively. "I didn't mean anything." But Kay just ignored him.

Then after dinner was over they said goodbye to their guests and Arthur led Gwen upstairs to her room again. On the way there they passed by a balcony on which was set a telescope pointing out at the stars.

Gwen stopped and looked toward it. "What is that?" she asked curiously.

"That? It's called a telescope," replied Arthur. "It belongs to Merlin."

"What does it do?" asked Gwen as she went up to look at it.

"Merlin uses it to look at the stars, the constellations in them, and the moon," said Arthur as he joined Gwen at the balcony.

"The funny thing is," he added, "is that Merlin says all the stars up there are really suns but they look smaller than the one we see in the daytime because they're much farther away from us. He also says they all of have their own planets orbiting around them just like our our planet orbits around the sun, although I'd always thought it was the other way around. Merlin does say things that sound crazy sometimes. He even insists that the world is round and not flat like all our scholars draw it on our maps."

Then Gwen looked through the telescope with her left eye and gave a soft gasp at what she saw through it. "Oh my! The stars look so enormous when seen through this thing!"

"They do? Let me look," said Arthur. He looked through it and he saw what she saw. "You're right. They do look pretty big! And over here is one that looks all reddish. I wonder why."

Just then Merlin's owl Archimedes flew in and perched himself on the balcony and said, "Because it isn't a star, it is the planet Mars, our neighboring planet."

"Gwen, may I introduce Archimedes, Merlin's highly educated owl," Arthur said courtly.

"You look like a very handsome and wise owl," Gwen said as she lightly stroked his feathers.

Just then they saw a silver stream of light sail across the night sky in-between the stars.

"Oh my! What was that?" asked Gwen blinking in amazement.

"It's called a comet or a meteor," replied Archimedes. "Or, as you youngsters like to call it, a shooting star."

"A shooting star!" Arthur and Gwen said in awe.

Then Gwen suddenly got a distant and wistful look in her large green eyes. "I remember something. Something someone said to me so long ago," she murmured.

"What was it?" asked Arthur.

"It was a soft and soothing voice that said to me, 'when you wish upon a star anything your heart desires will come to you'."

"Funny. I never thought of wishing on stars," said Arthur. "But we may as well try it."

"How childish," sniffed Archimedes.

Then Arthur made his wish, "I wish to be as great a King as I can become."

Then Gwen made her wish. "I wish I can find out who I really am."

Madam Mim looked up to Lord Dragmore as the light of a bright idea came to her. "I believe that fellow Kay will come in very handy to us."

"I believe you're right," agreed Lord Dragmore. "And so will Guinevere."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day after Merlin gave Arthur his lessons, the young King went with Gwen out for an afternoon picnic. As they walked along carrying their picnic basket they observed the things of nature that were surrounding them.

"I love the outdoors," Gwen said. "There is something about it that makes it feel like it's home to me."

"Merlin has taught me all about nature," Arthur said. "As you must know by now he is a wizard, and he gave me my first lessons in life and learning by turning me into different animals so that I could observe the world from completely different perspectives."

"Merlin must be a very wise teacher to do so," said Gwen. "Tell me, what was it like being turned into different animals?"

"Well," said Arthur, "first he turned me into a fish and I explored the world of under the water. It was fun until a huge pike almost swallowed me, but then Merlin taught me to use my brain over the pike's brawn. Next he turned me into a squirrel and taught me to look before I leap. I had a very unpleasant experience with a girl squirrel when she fell in love with me not knowing I was really a human boy. Then he turned me into a bird and I learned to see the world by flying high over it."

"Being a fish and then a squirrel and then a bird sounds like lots of fun to me," said Gwen. "The swimming, the climbing, and the flying does!" Then she suddenly got a distant look in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Arthur asked with concern.

"Nothing," said Gwen. "It's just when you said you turned into a squirrel and a girl squirrel fell in love with you it struck me as sounding familiar, almost as if the same thing had happened to me."

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur. "How could it have also happened to you?"

"I don't know," said Gwen. "I mean, I only met Merlin yesterday. He caught me when I fell from a tree."

"He caught you when you fell from a tree?" said Arthur. Then a wild idea suddenly popped into his head. "You don't suppose you were the squirrel who fell in love with me, do you?" he asked uneasily.

"I really don't know," replied Gwen. "I would think if I was then I would remember you because of it,wouldn't I?"

"I suppose so," replied Arthur. "Can you remember anything at all about where you were before you met Merlin yesterday?"

"No, I can't," replied Gwen. "I try to but I can't. Except for last night when I saw that shooting star, I felt like I'd seen something like it somewhere before."

"Well, maybe your memory is slowly coming back to you one at a time," said Arthur.

"Maybe," said Gwen.

They then reached the bank of the river where they sat down and spread out their blanket and opened their picnic basket and began taking out the goods inside it. Then as they ate contentedly they watched the fish swimming around in the water and listened to the birds chirping

At one point Gwen looked up at the birds singing their sweet melodies in the trees and pursed her lips together and began to sing along with them. Arthur sat still as he listened to her whistling in perfect harmony with the songbirds music. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"That was so beautiful," he said as soon as she had stopped. "You have the most wonderful voice I've ever heard."

"Thank you," Gwen said blushing slightly.

Kay was stomping grumpily around the courtyard of the castle. He kicked at sticks and stones strewn about as he did. He couldn't get his mind off of last night when the little Wart had humiliated him in front of his father the way he did, especially since he was after all a knight! And he was sure that the Wart had done it on purpose too. And what was more was his own father had the gall to suggest he be a knight to the Wart, as if he could ever even want to!

He was sure he deserved to be in a position high over that little pipsqueak Wart. He was sure that if the Wart had not so carelessly forgotten to bring his sword to the jousting tournament that evening three months ago and so had never pulled the sword from the stone, then he would certainly have won in the tournament and had thus been crowned the King of England. And he should have been too, he decided.

"That miserable little wart!" he said out loud to no one in particular. "One of these days I will get even with him if it's the last thing I do!"

"The day for when it will come may be closer than you think," said a strange and soft voice suddenly from behind him.

He turned around and saw a most beautiful and stately lady standing before him. She was dressed in a long white flowing gown that looked just as if it had been woven from the clouds. She also sported a pair of large wings upon her back which looked as light as if they were made of gossamer. Her face wore a very sweet and tender expression and her eyes seemed to be staring right through his own.

"Who... Who are you?" he asked hesitatingly.

"Why, I am you guardian angel, of course," she replied in her voice that was as soft as mist.

"I never knew I had a guardian angel," Kay said dumbfounded.

"But you do," she assured him. "Everyone does and no one is without theirs when they need them the most. And now I have come to you because you are in great need."

"I am?" he asked.

"Indeed," she said. "You feel that you have lost out on a golden position that was rightfully yours, don't you?"

"Well, yes, I do!" he said.

"And you know it could have been yours if only if it hadn't been for the one everyone calls King Arthur who is nothing but a wart on the face of your life," she continued.

"Yes, that's right! Absolutely!" exclaimed Kay passionately.

"But you mustn't despair, my dear Kay," she said soothingly. "After all it is your destiny to take his place."

"It is?" he asked with his eyes wide.

"Indeed," she said. "And I shall help you to secure it, that is why I have come to you now. Together you and I can overthrow the false King and put you in your rightful place."

"Go on!" said Kay with much enthusiasm.

She then gestured for him to come nearer and she whispered in his ear and his grin grew wider and broader with every word.

Arthur and Gwen had just finished having their picnic and were now making their way back to the castle when suddenly they were met up with by Kay. They stopped abruptly in their tracks.

"Oh! Kay! What a surprise to see you here," said Arthur a bit uneasily.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty!" said Kay very politely with a deep courtly bow to him. "And do let me carry your basket back for you," he added as he took their picnic basket in hand.

"Why, Kay! You seem so... out of the ordinary today," said Arthur in puzzlement.

"Ah, nonsense!" said Kay cheerfully. "I'm just so glad to see my younger brother now as a King."

"But I'm not your actual brother you know," Arthur said.

"But you are to me though," insisted Kay. "You always were."

Gwen looked at Arthur with much confusion and he returned her the same look. This was so out the ordinary for Kay. Still they did not suspect any of things that were on his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Arthur and Gwen were seated in the Royal Study Room where he was teaching her to read as he had found out that she didn't know how. He began by the the same way that Merlin had taught him. Starting with the alphabet and then the sounds of the letters and so on. They were now going through a book of Astronomy in a chapter on constellations. Gwen was having trouble making out some of the names of the constellations as there were some that had originated from the Greek language.

"Cepheus," Arthur sounded out the name of the constellation of the mythological Greek god for Gwen and then pointed to the pictures of the pentagram of the stars connected in the sky of the figure's constellation.

"I wonder what all of these constellations mean," Gwen wondered out loud, "and where they come from."

"Well, Merlin says the ancient Babylonians and then the Greeks invented them by drawing imaginary pictures in the stars of their favorite characters, whatever that means," said Arthur.

"They're all so fascinating," said Gwen. "There is a greater dog called Sirius, and a lesser dog called Procyon, and a hunter named Orion, and a... big... dipper... whatever that is."

"Merlin says that one won't be discovered for a few more centuries to come."

"How does Merlin know things like that?" asked Gwen.

"I don't know," said Arthur. "I think he has some sort of gift of time travel, only he won't tell me how. I once asked him to take me to the future with him and he refused."

"Merlin is very mysterious," said Gwen. "But I like him nevertheless."

"So do I," agreed Arthur.

It was just then that there was the sound of a trumpet being sounded from outside of the castle's front door. Arthur promptly got up to see who had come to visit and Gwen followed him. When they reached the door Merlin had just got to it and opened it for them.

Standing behind the door was a very short man with long black hair that curled up in the back wearing a large blue hat with a feather plume in it and a matching blue uniform that looked to be that of a royal messenger's. He stood very straight as he held out a piece of white parchment in front of him and read it out loud to them.

"Their Most Royal and Gracious Majesties, King Fillmore, and Queen Jillian, have cordially requested the presence of young King Arthur of Greater Britain to be at their Royal Festival on the second Tuesday of April."

And having said this the messenger made a bow and patiently awaited Arthur's response.

Arthur felt confused for a moment as he did not know any other Kings or Queens and so he didn't know what to make of being invited to a neighboring Kingdom for a festival. He looked up at Merlin as if asking what he should say or do.

Merlin smiled. "Accept the invitation, young Sire," he advised. "It will be a fine opportunity for you to learn more about your new duties as King."

So Arthur shrugged and turned toward the messenger and said, "I accept their Majesties Royal and Gracious invitation."

The messenger nodded and smiled as though very pleased and then bowed again and turned and went on his way.

Then after Merlin had closed the front door again Arthur turned to him with a worried expression and said, "Merlin, what will I do now? I've never been invited to a Royal Festival in all of my life. I'm afraid I don't even know how I should act at one."

Merlin smiled with understanding. "There now," he said soothingly, "Like I said before you are a born King of England and therefore you should be easy to learn the skills of the manners and etiquette that are required for such Royal occasions. And I shall be happy to help you to learn them. And," he added with a warm smile in Gwen's direction. "I do believe your friend here can be of some assistance in helping you to acquire them."

Gwen smiled. "I would be honored to learn with His Majesty!"

So then Merlin began to teach them both the basics of Royal manners and etiquette. He started out by having them walk straight and erect while balancing a book on their heads. He watched as Arthur and Gwen walked ever so slowly and daintily towards each other. Then when they bowed to each other their books fell off their heads. He chuckled lightly at this and then announced it was time for something else.

He spoke the words of a formal Royal Introduction to Arthur and had him repeat them to Gwen while using his own version of the wording. "Because you needn't copy like a parrot does, as you'd be better off forming your own unique personality of Royal charm and charisma."

Arthur turned toward Gwen and put a hand to his chest and said in the most courtly and regal voice he could muster, "Greeting to you, Your Royal Highness. I am very delighted to meet you and to be here at you exquisite Royal festivities today."

Gwen smiled a sweet smile as she nodded and replied almost automatically, "You are entirely welcome, Your Majesty."

Merlin lightly clapped his hands as he said, "Very, very good! Excellent! Splendid! Now, let us go onto another important part, table manners."

He started out by tying a Hermes scarf around Arthur and tying it tightly to the back of a high back Royal chair so that he could sit up straight and forward at all times. He then taught him how to make the best of polite conversations during the meals.

Next came a part which Arthur really thought at first would the most difficult, if not impossible to learn. It was dancing.

"I can't dance!" he said helplessly. "I have two left feet and am as clumsy as an ox."

Merlin only chuckled. "Oh, nonsense,, Sire! You may not know how to dance anymore than I or Gwen here knows how to, but you can learn how to just as easily as we can."

Gwen nodded encouragingly to him.

Then Merlin took out his wand and made light motions around with it while gesturing down at the floor. "One, and two, and three, and four!" he chanted.

Then at once a series of magical glowing footprints appeared almost everywhere on the floor. They stepped lightly all around in a circle and then stopped back at Arthur and Gwen's feet.

"Now," said Merlin, "let the music begin!"

Then Arthur and Gwen prepared to step in time to the music and the magical footprints, and then all of a sudden a loud raucous blaring sound of out of control symbols came out of nowhere. It was such a loud racket they had to cover their ears as they winced.

"Oops," Merlin said with embarrassment. "Wrong ere. He-he! Now as I was saying, let the music begin!"

Then a soft and light waltz began to play from an invisible source and Arthur and Gwen smiled at the sweet melody as they each began to move their feet along with the steps which the magical footprints took in tune to it.

Soon Arthur was discovering he wasn't the least bit clumsy or double left-footed at all. He and Gwen danced around and around the room, and as they came closer to each other as the footprints were bringing them together they suddenly reached out and clasped each others hands. Then the footprints became intertwined and they almost couldn't tell which set belonged to them. They just danced together as if they had every day of their lives.

Lord Dragmore was watching them through his Mystic Orb alongside Madam Mim. "Ah! Yes!" he seethed gleefully. "All is going according to plan so far."

"They are all so easy to deceive!" Madam Mim added as she threw head back in cackling. "They're all ours!"

"Shut up, will you!" snapped Lord Dragmore as he smacked her on top of her head. "Remember our deal?"

"Oh, yes. Of course," said Mim as she rubbed her sore head. "As soon as we have rid ourselves of all our vermin you shall become the King of all of the Land and then the World... and I'll be just your miserable, wretched lackey."


	6. Chapter 6

That night Gwen tossed and turned over and over in her fitful slumber as the most terrible images plagued her mind...

_The dark wizard strode purposefully up to the gates of the castle. He was met with by the Royal Guards who stood in front of him and blocked his entrance with their sharp swords and spears. _

"_I have no time for foolishness!" he said angrily. "Now tell me where is the King!"_

_The guards did not reply He then sighed with impatience and took out his wand, and waving it over the guards faces as he pronounced the word, "Obee-taus!"_

_Then the guards spoke in unison as if a toy would when a button on it was pushed. "He is hiding in the castle in the fortieth guest room in the second closet to the right."_

_The dark wizard nodded with satisfaction and then pointed his wand at the guards once again as he yelled out,"Oblivitory!" Then at once the guards faces fell slack and their eyes glazed over and they fell down to the side like a set of pins that had just been bowled over._

_Smirking with satisfaction, the dark wizard marched through the gates and was about to step into the castle when all of a sudden a knight in shiny silvery armor leaped out in front of him. He thrust a sword and a shield out in front of him with a brave and bold expression on his face._

"_If you want to get to the King you will have to get past me first!" he declared forcefully._

_The dark wizard rolled his eyes as he took his wand out again. However, before he could pronounce any words, the knight thrust out his sword and chopped the wand in half. For a moment the dark wizard looked stunned and shocked and then he looked furious. He then raised his hands up high above his head and yelled out,_

"_Nus... Nu... Skahh!"_

_Then instantly the knight was stiffened inside of his armor and then he gagged and clutched at his head and wailed as if in pain and then he fell over backwards. _

_The dark wizard gave a short laugh and then promptly stepped onto the knights armor clad chest as he went forth into the castle._

_He went and found the King as he was hiding in the exact location which the guards had said he was. The King crouched down on his knees and put his hands together and held them up to the dark wizard as he pleaded,_

"_Please show mercy! I can still give you everything you want! If you'll only give me enough time!"_

_The dark wizard scowled at him as he said in a hard and cold voice, "Mercy is a word completely unknown to me. Though I do know the word promise when I hear it and you made a promise to me and then broke it!" He then took the broken pieces of his wand and held them out in front of the King as he yelled out, "Dee... Seesit!"_

_The King gave a yell loud enough to wake the dead if it were possible and then collapsed in a lifeless heap on the floor at the dark wizard's feet._

Gwen sat bolt upright in her bed breathing heavily as she put a hand to her chest and tried to calm down. She had such a horrible nightmare. And what was worse was it had seemed to real like it had actually happened. Yet she had had no previous memory of it, strangely.

Just then her door opened and Arthur stepped inside. "Good morning," he said warmly. "Breakfast will be served soon." He then saw the petrified look on her face. "What's the matter?" he asked with concern.

"I... I had the worst dream," she said.

"Well, would you like to talk about it?" asked Arthur kindly. "Merlin says talking about things that worry you will always help to ease them. I came to him before when I was troubled with bad dreams, so why don't we go to see him now and you tell him about your bad dream? I'm sure he'll be able to help you make sense of it."

Gwen agreed to this and so they went downstairs where they found Merlin sitting in the castle foyer in his armchair and smoking his pipe.

"Merlin," said Gwen, "I had a bad dream last night."

Merlin looked at her intrigued. "Dreams are of special interest to me," he said. "Tell me what ails you, my dear."

Gwen then explained about her dream to him. "There was this wizard dressed all in black. He came up to a castle and knocked away the guards and then there was a knight and tried to fend him off but he ended up just like the guards did. Then the dark wizard went and found the king... and he... killed him."

Then everyone was silent for a moment before Arthur spoke up a bit nervously, "Did the King look like me, by any chance?"

"No," Gwen assured him. "He had long dark hair and a beard, and was a grown man."

Merlin had been looking very thoughtful as Gwen had been speaking. He rubbed his chin and now as a light of understanding and then realization came over his features. "Ah!" he said. "I know exactly what you saw in your dream, and I also know why which tells me who you are."

"You do?" asked Gwen in amazement.

"Yes, indeed," said Merlin. "It was twelve years ago exactly when King Uther Pendragon, before he was King, made a deal with a dark and dangerous wizard called Lord Dragmore that if he could use his powers of magic to help him secure the throne of England by overthrowing and defeating the former King, and then to seduce the Lady Igrane whom he lusted after. Then after Dragmore had accomplished all of these things for him he expected to get what he wanted in return from King Uther, and when he was unable to give it to him he brought destruction upon him and disaster upon the Kingdom."

Arthur and Gwen were staring in stunned silence at Merlin's story.

"So you mean what I saw in my dream actually happened before?" Gwen asked with shock.

"Yes, indeed it did," said Merlin. "And there is more, too," he added. "There were two people in particular, Sir Gallen and his wife the Lady Ellis who tried with all their might to defend and protect King Uther against Dragmore but they ended up perishing in their attempt. They also had a two-year-old daughter named Guinevere who disappeared just after the fall of King Uther. You see, my dear Gwen, The knight you saw in your dream as well as his wife were Sir Gallen and Lady Ellis, and they were your parents and you are their daughter, Guinevere."

Both Arthur and Gwen now looked at Merlin with more shock than before. Gwen spoke first, her voice barely a mutter, "So I'm really Guinevere?"

Merlin nodded. "As certainly as King Uther and the Lady Igrane were Arthur's parents and so he is the rightful heir to the throne."

"And so I am also an orphan because my parents are both dead because of Lord Dragmore?" Gwen asked quietly.

"Well," said Merlin, "that they are dead has been an assumption on my part for all these years because it seemed to me that is what Lord Dragmore would do. But then I could be wrong as I have been before about him."

"Do you mean you actually know this Lord Dragmore?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, I am afraid I do," said Merlin. "For a long time actually and he is my oldest and greatest enemy, much more so than Madam Mim who you've met before. I remember how he had also planned to kill you as well after you were born but I had you seized from your cradle and brought into the foster home you grew up in."

"Wow! I never would have known, Merlin!" exclaimed Arthur.

"I am sure he knows nothing about you at the moment," Merlin continued, "but if he was to find out, all our lives would be in grave danger. So promise me you will both be careful of who you meet and trust in the future."

"We promise," said Arthur, and Gwen nodded her agreement.


	7. Chapter 7

That afternoon Arthur was practicing archery in the courtyard. Gwen joined him in it. He took a bow and pulled an arrow through it and then it flew straight through the air and struck the target post head on. Gwen cheered for him and then took a bow and arrow to try it for herself. She shot the arrow at rapid speed as it made a bulls-eye through the target post.

"Hey, you know you're pretty good at this," Arthur said to her.

"You mean for a girl?" she asked frowning a bit.

"No, I mean for anyone," he assured her. "It took me a long time before now to get the hang of this and you're already a natural at it. How do you learn so fast?"

"I don't know," replied Gwen as she shot another arrow. "Maybe it runs in my family... I only wish I'd known my family," she added sadly.

"I never knew my family, either. Remember?" said Arthur. "But like Merlin says, all that matters is that we were born and because we were born we have a destiny to fulfill and we must do our best to."

"I don't know what my destiny is, though," said Gwen.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find out in time," said Arthur. "And it may come as a surprise to you when you find it just as it did with me."

He shot another arrow and then said reflectively, "You know, you're the first friend I ever had who was my age, and," he added, "I'm glad you are."

"I don't remember having a friend before now either," said Gwen. "And I'm glad it's you, too."

Merlin and Archimedes were watching Arthur and Gwen from a high tower above them. Merlin looked on with a twinkle in his eyes that said he knew something about them they might not yet.

"Those two really do go well together, don't they?" he said to Archimedes.

"I wouldn't know," replied the owl as he stood perched on the windowsill. "I've only ever observed the relationships of other birds like myself."

"Well," said Merlin, "as you may know 'birds of a feather flock together', and I remember when Gwen was in her enchanted form as a squirrel along with Arthur she couldn't help falling in love with him. And now that they are each human again they seem to each be doing it again, if by a a gradual process this time as most humans do."

"Ah! Pinfeathers and sentimental mushiness!" Archimedes sniffed stuffily.

"Now, I know what I am seeing when I see it," Merlin said to his owl companion, "and I intend to fan the flames of it as I do with anything and everything that is worthwhile."

"Oh dear! Here we go again!" Archimedes grumbled as he recalled how Merlin had been so determined before to help Arthur to reach his full potential, and now it seemed he was actually gonna play matchmaker to the boy!

Lord Dragmore and Madam Mim were watching Arthur and Gwen also through their Mystic Orb. Mim cackled with amusement at what she was seeing between them.

"Arthur and Guinevere sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" she sang out in a mockingly romantic voice. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes them with the baby carriage!"

Lord Dragmore scowled at her as he once again thumped her on the head with his wand to let her know he himself did not find her or them to be amusing at all.

"Silence!" he commanded. "I can see clearly what is going on between the two of them and I don't like it. You know how love is powerful force, almost, but not quite of course, as powerful as my forces of darkness. This will provide some trouble for us unless we do something about it I can see."

"Well," Mim said as she rubbed the bump on her head, "what do you think we have Kay for? I didn't pretend to be his 'guardian angel' for nothing you know."

Back in the courtyard at the castle, Gwen was taking a stroll around the Royal gardens a little later in the day. She was awed at the beauty of all of the things that were growing in them from trees to flowers. Then suddenly she met Kay again.

"Oh, Kay! What a surprise to see you here again so soon," she said.

"Well," Kay said casually, "I like to come by to see my little brother the King and see if I can do any errands for him and such. So tell me, how do you find him to be?"

"I like him very much," asserted Gwen with honesty. "I find him to be the nicest, kindest, most understanding person I have ever known... even if he is one of the only people I've ever known so far."

Kay chuckled lightly at this. "Why, I'd almost say you're starting to fancy him, are you?"

Gwen just blushed and turned her face away from him shyly.

"Well," Kay continued, "If I were you I wouldn't be getting to attached to him now."

"Why not?" asked Gwen.

"Well, because... I don't want to have to be the one to tell you about it, but Wart, I mean Arthur, has always had a habit of fancying every girl he comes in sight of and of dilly-dallying with them constantly until he gets tired of them and then tosses them and their hearts out of his way like an old glove."

Gwen looked puzzled and shocked all at once. "But Arthur just told me I was the only friend his age he ever had."

"Oh, he says that to all of the girls he meets, he does," Kay said regretfully. "So if you're not careful you could end up with your little heart all broken up just like all those other poor lasses that came across him."

And with that, Kay walked away without a glance back. Gwen was left beside herself. It all sounded so untrue and ridiculous to believe what Kay had said, it really did. And yet there crept a faint tingling of fear and dread into her heart that he might have been telling the truth in some way. But then how could she be sure of whether it was true or not? She didn't know. So she decided she would just try to be cautious around Arthur.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Arthur stepped out from behind the grove of trees that were growing in the garden. In his hand he was holding a single perfect red rose.

"Hello, Gwen," he greeted warmly. "I was going to meet you here... and then I came across these and thought you might like one." He held out the rose to her.

"Oh my, yes I would! Thank you, Arthur! I love it!" she gushed happily with all of her thoughts of uncertainty over him now completely neglected. She sniffed of the rose's fragrance. "I just adore it!" she sighed.

Arthur smiled rather sweetly. He then looked up at the trees beside of them and asked, "Would you like one of the apples too?"

"I'd love one," she replied.

So he reached up and plucked off a fully ripe and lusciously red apple that was on one of the lower branches and handed it to Gwen before plucking off another one for himself.

They ate contentedly for a while before Arthur said, "When I go to the Royal festival, I think I would like very much for you to come with me."

"Oh, I'd love to!" she said with delight.


	8. Chapter 8

The day of the Royal Festival arrived. Arthur dressed in his most regal robes and Gwen had also had a new dress made just for her by the Royal tailor. Arthur stepped into the Royal coach with Gwen climbing in after and taking a seat beside him as the coachman held the door open for them and then closed it and then took his place up front holding the reigns of the royal white horses.

A large crowd of Arthur's subjects had gathered around the front of the castle to see him off. Sir Ector and Kay were among them and as they waved as the coach began driving off Kay wore a broad grin on his face that was uncharacteristically happy for him.

When they reached the neighboring Kingdom at which the Royal festival was being held, the coachman opened the door for Arthur and he stepped out of it and then graciously lent Gwen a hand as she got out next.

They saw before them a huge gathering of people of all ages like none either of them had ever seen before. It was a wonder they both thought at how the courtyard was able to hold them all at once. They also saw many banners and streamers and turrets decorating the surroundings along with long dining tables on either side of them which would be used for the Royal feast.

Arthur then met with the King and Queen of this Kingdom. He bowed courtly before them as they did the same and he recited his much rehearsed speech to them.

"Greetings to you, Your Royal Highness's. I am very delighted to meet you and to be here at your exquisite Royal Festivities today."

"You are entirely welcome, Your Majesty," replied the Queen in a way that let him know she was charmed.

"We wish only for you to enjoy yourself to your fullest content here," the King added in a regal tone.

Then, shortly afterward, the first stage of the Royal festivities began which was the dancing. Arthur watched as all of the people in the wide open space before them found themselves a partner to dance with and then they began to waltz around lightly as the soft and sweet melody of the Royal musicians began playing.

Arthur turned hesitantly toward Gwen and asked with a slight stammer, "Would you care to have this dance with me, milady?"

Gwen smiled sweetly at him with the very slightest blush to her cheeks as she replied, "I'd be most honored, Your Majesty."

So then Arthur took her hands in his own and they began twirling all around on the soft grassy lawn. He felt so relieved as well as elated to be dancing with her as he was sure if it were with anyone else he would be bound to mess up and make a fool of himself in spite of all of the practicing he had done, and he knew even if he did mess up that Gwen wouldn't mind it. He didn't mess up though at all. They both swayed to the music as gracefully as if they were two swans swimming around on a lake.

Back at Arthur's castle, Kay stepped inside of it and entered into the throne room where he gazed upon the royal throne with the scepter and the crown beside it with an intense longing. Then, as he was unable to resist the temptation, he seated himself upon the throne and took the crown and placed it on top of his head and held the scepter in his right hand. He sat back and relaxed contentedly as he enjoyed his new position which he felt was quite justified to him.

_How about this?_ he thought with much self gratification, _Me, the King. The King of all England!_

It was just then however that a tall man with a long black beard and wearing equally black robes entered into the throne room. When he saw Kay seated on the throne his dark eyes went ablaze with dark fire.

"What in blazes are you doing seated upon the throne?" he demanded very crossly.

"Why this is my throne!" Kay shot back at him. "Or at least it will be soon enough," he added smugly.

The dark haired man then seemed to ease his temperament though he still spoke in a very cold voice to Kay. "Ah! I see! You must be Sir Kay! And we have been expecting you here."

"Now what are you getting at?" Kay demanded irritably.

"I mean to say you think you are going to be King, but you are not for I am going to be King!" the dark clothed man announced loud enough for his voice to echo in the room.

Kay stared at him in shock and anger. "Now just a moment here! Are you a madman or something?"

The dark man laughed sardonically. "Ah, no, no! I am quite sane as I know exactly what is going on now. You, however do not know what is going on. You see, I am Lord Dragmore, also referred to as the High Wizard of Dark Magic, and I along with my partner Madam Mim have deceived you into thinking you could take the throne."

Kay stared at him in confusion and in disbelief with a hint of fear etched in. "Now look here, you can't have deceived me! As I have never seen you or this partner of your in all my life!"

"Ah! But you have!" replied Lord Dragmore cunningly. He then snapped his fingers and Madam Mim appeared beside him. "This is Mim, my partner, or as you much better know her..." He then snapped his fingers again and Mim instantly transformed into the beautiful white clad winged angel that Kay had seen.

"My... My guardian angel?" Kay sputtered in shock and disbelief. "That was you all along?"

Mim nodded deviously and then both she and Dragmore began laughing very evilly at the triumph of their deception.

"And now," Lord Dragmore concluded, "to see that you will not be of any trouble to us now..." He then snapped his fingers on both hands and then instantly they were all transported to the deepest dungeon there was in the castle.

"There," said Lord Dragmore. "This should keep you out of the way. And so that you won't get lonely down here I have invited a friend of mine to play with you."

And just then a huge scaly creature that looked like a mixture of a dragon, an alligator, and a hippopotamus emerged out from the shadows. It bared its teeth as it snarled fiercely at Kay. Then Kay, for the first time since he could remember, was really terrified.

"Now," Mim said, "if you'll excuse us we must be on our way. We have important business to attend to. Ta ta!" And with that Lord Dragmore snapped his fingers again and they both vanished from the dungeon.

At the other Kingdom's Royal Festivities, Gwen was standing over at the refreshments table where she got herself a glass of punch and some cookies. She had enjoyed dancing with Arthur very much. She liked being around him, and yet at the same time she always felt like she had butterflies in her stomach and goosebumps on her arms when he was near her. She couldn't help but wonder why.

Then suddenly she heard someone speak to her. "Hello, deary. Are you enjoying yourself here?" She turned to her side and noticed a tall and slender young woman with ravishing looks and silvery blonde hair standing beside her.

"Yes, I am, thank you," she replied with a smile.

"And have you had a dance yet?" the woman asked further.

"Yes, I have," Gwen said in a rather blissful voice.

"With who?" asked the woman.

"With none other than His Majesty King Arthur of England," replied Gwen.

The woman then looked into the crowd of dancing couples and her eyes seem to catch onto something. "Why, I do believe that is him over there, and he is dancing with them pretty red-haired girl too," she gestured toward the left side of them.

Gwen looked and, sure enough, she saw Arthur as he was dancing with a very strikingly gorgeous young girl who looked a bit older than him. He was also dancing quite closely to her, closer than she had danced with him. At first Gwen felt much confusion at this. Then she felt a shock as if lightning had struck her at full force when she suddenly saw Arthur and the other girl give each other a deep and passionate kiss on their lips.

She gasped and her hand went over her heart as she felt as it were being impaled by a hundred daggers all at once. Her vision was quickly becoming blurred by her burning hot tears in her eyes. It was in that moment that she realized that Kay had been telling the truth in what he had said about Arthur enjoying the company of girls and then tossing them over his shoulder. How could she have been so foolish and so blind as to let herself be misled by him?

The woman next to her seemed to be noticing her reaction as she put a hand on her shoulder and said in a kindly voice, "Would you like to come inside with me for a moment, deary?"

Gwen was at the moment so heartbroken she only nodded her head and then followed the woman to wherever she was to lead her without giving a glance back at Arthur.

Gwen went with the woman into the castle and she was led into a small room with high walls. In it she found someone else there. It was a familiar looking figure with long black hair and a matching beard and robes. Then after a moment of pondering she realized she knew exactly who this dark clad man was. He was none other than the dark wizard she had seen in her nightmare.

"You!" she gasped as she pointed a finger at him. "You're Lord Dragmore. You killed King Uther... and you killed my father!"

Lord Dragmore smirked very wickedly. "Ah! Well, aren't you a knowledgeable girl! Yes, I am he. And may I introduce my partner, Madam Mim."

Gwen heard a snapping sound and looked over to her side and found that the beautiful woman was gone and in her place was an ugly old hag. And then suddenly another memory surfaced in her mind. A most horrible memory.

"_No! Please spare my child!" Lady Ellis pleaded in tears._

"_Not on your life! Madam Mim shot back at her._

_Then Mim pointed one of her long bony fingers at Lady Ellis and the next moment she was clutching at her heart before collapsing onto the floor. _

_Mim then took the now wailing baby girl into her hands and dashed away with her._

"You killed my mother!" she pointed at Madam Mim accusingly.

"I should hope I did," cackled Mim gleefully. "And now," she added, "we'll see what we can do about you. But first we have a bit of business to attend to. So we must keep you out of the way."

Mim then pointed all of her ugly long white fingers at Gwen and a few purple sparks shot out of them. Then the next moment Gwen found herself looking way up at Mim and Dragmore while the floor seemed much closer and the ceiling much higher. She tried to cry out but all that came out of her was a frightened squeak. It was then that she looked down at herself and saw she had now been turned into a squirrel.

"She really is much prettier as a rodent I must admit!" Mim said with a very menacing laugh.

"Well, now, let us go and prepare the poison for King Arthur before Merlin finds out about all this!" Lord Dragmore said as he hurriedly ushered Mim out of the door and locked it behind them.

Gwen was now left all alone and as scared as anyone could expect her to be at a time like this, though she wasn't just for herself, but also for Arthur.


	9. Chapter 9

Merlin was walking through the woods on his way to see the Lady of the Lake. He didn't know why but ever since Arthur and Gwen had left that morning for the Royal Festivities in the Neighboring Kingdom he had had a nagging feeling of uneasiness about it and he hoped a talk with the Lady of the Lake would resolve it.

He reached the lake and stepped up to the edge of it. He bowed and addressed the Lady. "Oh, Lady of the Lake. I come to you to ask to grant an audience with you."

The instantly the water of the lake splurged upward and the Lady appeared out of it. She wore a very anxious expression on her lovely features and before Merlin could speak again she said with great urgency,

"Merlin, you must go now and hurry! Arthur and Gwen are in great danger where they are now. Their very lives are at stake at this very moment."

And with that she re-submerged herself down into the lake. Merlin needed no further prompting as she had just answered his questions and he apparated on the spot to where Arthur and Gwen were.

He reappeared at the base of the castle in the other Kingdom. He started to make a dash for the castle gates when suddenly two all too familiar figures appeared in front of him. Lord Dragmore with Madam Mim.

"Not so fast, old goat," said Mim.

"You!" Merlin stared at Mim, "And you!" he turned to stare with abject horror at Dragmore. "I might have known!"

"You arrived too late Merlin," said Dragmore. "Arthur is just about to drink from the goblet of poisoned wine and then all of England will be ours!"

Merlin glared as fiercely at them as it was possible as he took out his wand and raised it up high. "Ala..." However just then Dragmore clasped his rough bony hand of Merlin's mouth while at the same time Mim seized his wand out of his grasp.

"I'll take this," she said. "Now as for you," she raised the wand up as high as she could and cried out, "Mu-no-co!"

Dragmore then released his hand from Merlin's mouth. Merlin attempted to speak but found he could not, much to his horror.

Dragmore smirked very evilly at him and then said, "Now how about we go someplace more suitable for you?" He then snapped his fingers and they were instantly transported to the dungeon of the castle.

"There, this should keep you out of the way!" Dragmore exclaimed as he pushed Merlin backward so that he fell down into a corner of the dark cell.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have business to attend to," said Dragmore. And with that he snapped his fingers again and he and Mim apparated out of the dungeon.

Merlin was left all alone and helpless and unable to speak so that he could not use his magic to free him even if he still had his wand. He wondered if there was any other way he could get out of here. Then suddenly he heard a chittering noise coming from somewhere above him.

He looked up and saw a tiny squirrel with reddish fur locked inside a cage. He at once knew this had to be Gwen turned back into her enchanted form by Mim. An idea then crossed his mind that could get them both out of here.

He got up and went to the cage she was in and unlocked it and let her out. She crawled onto his shoulder and chattered excitedly. Merlin smiled sadly at her. Then he pointed towards a long pipe that was connected from the wall near the floor up to the ceiling and then nodded towards her.

Gwen understood instantly what he was trying to tell her to do. She at once leaped down from his shoulder and scampered over to the pipe and crawled into it with the speed and skill that only a squirrel could have.

Merlin listened as he heard her scratching inside of the pipe until he could hear no more. He then silently hoped that she would succeed in his plan.

Meanwhile in the castle courtyard, the dancing had just ended and it was time for the feasting. Arthur took his seat at the head of the long table beside the King and Queen. He was feeling rather dazed and confused at the moment as just after he had danced with Gwen another girl whom he had never seen before came up to him and just took his hands and pressed herself against him and then she had forcefully kissed him on his lips without his consent.

He looked around for Gwen but couldn't see her anywhere. And then the worst thought came into his mind. That she had seen the other girl dancing with him as she had kissed him and had gotten the wrong impression of it. Then his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the King seated beside him stood and raised his glass goblet of red wine up and announced,

"I would like to propose a toast to our guest of honor here today. Arthur the newly crowned King of England. May he live long and good health to him."

Then everyone picked up their own glass goblets and clinked them together, as did Arthur. He watched as everyone began drinking from their goblets then and brought his to his lips to do the same, but then he hesitated as he had never tasted wine before. Then the next moment he heard a loud chattering noise followed by loud scratching.

He looked up and was shocked and amazed to see a tiny red squirrel leap out of a pipe on the castle's roof and then jump down onto the table. Everyone screeched and stepped back as it dashed across the long length and knock over goblets and upset plates and silverware. Then when it neared Arthur's place at the end it made a flying leap and flew at the glass goblet still in his hand and grabbed hold of it and then knocked it over so that it fell to the ground and spilled. The red liquid in it burned off the grass it touched and sizzled.

Arthur looked shocked and at a loss for words. "What the...?" Just then there was a cracking sound and he turned toward it and saw Merlin appear on the spot.

Merlin rushed up to Arthur just as the squirrel leaped onto the Queen and began biting and clawing at her everywhere. Then it found its way up the sleeve of her robe and pulled something out of it. It looked just like Merlin's wand.

Merlin then reached the table and seized his wand. He then pointed it at his mouth for a moment and then said, "That's better! Now enough of this charade!" He raised his arms high above his head and with a swift wave of his wand he cried out, "Alakazaam!"

Then before Arthur's very eyes their was a great swirling all around him almost like a hurricane. And then when it had cleared he saw all of the guests were gone as if they just disappeared, and in the place of the squirrel he saw Gwen, and in the place of the King and Queen he saw an old hag who he recognized as being Madam Mim and beside her there was a dark and dangerous looking wizard that looked like a much darker version of Merlin.

"What has been going on here!" Arthur asked in bewilderment.

"I'll tell you what's been going on," Merlin said at once. "Mim and Dragmore here set up everything around here so they could get rid of you and then take the throne of England for themselves."

Arthur was too stunned to speak. And then Dragmore advanced on Merlin as he took out his own wand.

"Merlin, this is the last straw! I never thought I'd have to resort to this, but I guess it had to come at the last minute," he then took out his wand and lifted it high above his head at Merlin and cried out, "Ob-li-dee-obli!"

Merlin, however was ready for this and he produced a large hand mirror and held it out in front of him so that Dragmore's spell was backfired back onto him. Then the next moment the old wizard grasped his heart and made a choking sound. Then a look of complete shock came over his ugly features.

"My- my magic is gone from me!" he gasped in horror.

"Of course it's gone from you," Merlin said obviously. "You may have been an expert at black magic and stuff," he continued, "but you were never an expert at learning about how spells can be bounced back, which is why I've always had this mirror with me. Now I know that a dark wizard without magic is a miserable creature indeed, so I'll put you out of your misery!"

Merlin then lifted his wand and cried out, "Squa-sqea!" And instantly Lord Dragmore was turned into a tiny little black mouse and scampered away.

Mim glared at Merlin and said, "You may have done away with my master, but you will not be rid of me, old goat! I'll be back!" And with that she vanished from sight.

Arthur then began to recover from his shock. He turned to Gwen and embraced her. "Gwen! I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried about you. Where were you?"

"Mim turned me into a squirrel and I was locked in a dungeon until Merlin came and freed me," she explained. She then looked at him seriously. "Now I'd like to know what you were doing by kissing that girl you were dancing with after me."

Arthur sighed and shook his head as he explained, "I didn't kiss her, Gwen. She kissed me. I had no part in it at all."

"And she wasn't really there at all," added Merlin. "She was just an illusion conjured up by Mim and Dragmore to deceive you both."

"Oh, I see now," said Gwen. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I might have known you wouldn't kiss her. You're not the kissing type, are you?"

"I don't know," said Arthur. "I've never tried it before."

"Well, would you like to practice?" asked Gwen with her eyes shining brightly.

"I don't know," he said. "When did you have in mind?"

"Right now," she replied. And with that she laid a soft and sweet kiss momentarily on his lips.

"Gosh, that felt kind of good," said Arthur smiling a little in amazement. "I'll have to try it again sometime."

Merlin smiled and then cleared his throat to get their attention. "Well, now I'd hate to be abrupt at this moment but I think there is more business for us to attend to before this is done."

He then apparated them all away.


	10. Chapter 10

They reappeared in the dungeon of Arthur's castle. They heard a great deal of loud snarling and growling. They looked and in the very dim light they could make out the forms of Kay swinging his sword at a gigantic monster that looked like a cross of a dragon, an alligator, and a hippopotamus. Kay was apparently trying to cut it's neck but it kept moving to and fro and away from his strikes and also made motions that looked like it was trying to bite off his head.

"Look!" exclaimed Arthur. "It's Kay! And what is that thing?"

Merlin squinted in the darkness and then lit up his wand with a candle-light glow and saw the beast Kay was in the midst of battling. His eyes went wide with realization and shock. "Oh my word!" he gasped. "It's the Hippolagotorgon!"

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Arthur fearfully.

And just then Kay finally managed to make a small cut across the monster's chin and a small bit of blood trickled down from it. The beast let out a mighty roar that echoed through the dungeon's walls and shook them. It then made another snap towards Kay's head.

"Kay! Look out!" exclaimed Arthur. Then just in time, Kay leaped out of the way of the beast's jaws.

"Kay, you fool!" exclaimed Merlin. "Don't try to slay the Hippolagatorgon! It has to tough flesh and bones to be sliced through, and if you hurt it like you just did you will only provoke it into eating you!"

Kay seemed to heed Merlin's warning as he lowered his sword and slowly backed away from the behemoth.

"What are we going to do about it?" asked Gwen fretfully.

Merlin thought a moment and then he seemed to have a bright idea. "I think I know!"

He stepped cautiously up to the Hippolagatorgon and reached out touched the tip of his wand to the cut on its chin as he whispered, "Heal-ios!" and then the cut was instantly healed.

The behemoth then seemed to calm and feel at ease around Merlin. It made a low growling sound and leaned its face closer toward Merlin's as if in gratitude.

"You are a very remarkable creature indeed, you are," Merlin said coaxingly. "And very rare, too, I must say." He reached up and patted the behemoth's head as near as he could.

He then aimed his wand at it once again and whispered, "Uno-stan-o!" And the the beast blinked suddenly as if it were seeing for the first time, and then it spoke to Merlin in a very deep, and gravelly voice.

"Why, you must be a wizard yourself. Though I must say you are much better one than Lord Dragmore because you are showing me kindness. He was always hulling me around and beating me with a whip and forcing me to carry him from place to place on my back without hardly ever even giving me anything to eat or drink."

"I see," said Merlin thoughtfully. "Well, Lord Dragmore is gone now, in a manner of speaking at least, so now you are free to go wherever you want to go."

The great beast looked suddenly enraptured at this. "I can! Really? I can home to my island! Was it you who defeated Lord Dragmore and set me free?" Merlin nodded proudly and the beast exclaimed, "Oh thank you, good wizard!" It then bent forward and gave Merlin a rather big and sloppy kiss.

"Now, now! None of that! Just be glad you can go home," Merlin said hastily.

Merlin then apparated them all out of the dungeon and into the courtyard. Then the Hippolagatorgon spread it's huge scaly wings and took off through air with a great gust of wind that nearly swept them off their feet, and flew away.

"Wow, Merlin!" Arthur said amazement. "How did you know just what to do?"

"It's easy if you know all about rare creatures like the Hippolagatorgon, as well as a little magic to go with it," Merlin replied humbly.

Merlin then turned to face Kay and said, "Now Kay, I trust that since we found you where we did that you now know what has been going on all this time as well as we do?"

Kay nodded very solemnly while frowning dejectedly.

"Good," said Merlin. "So now do you have anything to say for yourself and to Arthur?"

Kay sighed and said, "I'm sorry, you lot. Really I am. That old hag appeared to me as my guardian angel and made me think I should be King. Now I see how foolish I have been all this time and that you, Arthur, are the only true King of England. And," he added a bit sheepishly, "If you're offer of being your knight is still open I'd be honored to have it."

"Of course, Kay," Arthur said in a forgiving tone.

"Well," said Merlin. "Now that that's all over with, why don't we all go into the castle and celebrate our victory?"

To this they all agreed. Merlin looked at Arthur with Gwen and thought they made an even nicer couple as humans than they did as squirrels and hoped they would enjoy a bright future with each other, whatever may come.


End file.
